On Sunday, January 30, the 2022 Annual Catholic Appeal, Together in Hope and Charity, launched at parishes across our Diocese!
Each year, we are witness to the generosity of people from across our Diocese. We are keenly aware of the strength and blessings in our collective kindness. Together, we are the Body of Christ and together we help to build up his kingdom of Faith.
Please take a moment to watch this short video message, featuring Bishop Edward Weisenburger, about this year’s appeal.
Thank you for watching this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal video! Please prayerfully consider joining fellow Catholics from around our Diocese in making a gift to the Annual Catholic Appeal. This year’s Appeal goal is $4,000,000 and will support:
The Office of the Chancellor provides personnel support for the priests and deacons of the Diocese, including retirement and clearance for ministry outside of our diocese.
The Office of Vocations promotes priestly vocations, selects qualified candidates for discernment, coordinates the formation and education of seminarians, provides for current seminarians, and presents qualified seminarians for priestly ordination. This office administers the diocesan program for both pre-seminarian and seminarian candidates.
Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona (CCS) serves as the human services arm of
the Diocese of Tucson. Its mission is to strengthen children, adults, families, and communities
by providing help, creating hope and serving all. CCS works through a family of agencies and
ministries in Tucson, Sierra Vista, and Yuma. CCS also oversees the Pio Decimo Center, Deaf
& Residential Services, Aid for Migrant Women and Children, the Kolbe Society (Detention
Ministry), and the St. Jeanne Jugan Ministry with Elders.
Grants to Needy Parishes & Catholic Affiliates are awarded by the Catholic Foundation board of
directors through a process of needs assessment review of grant applications. Native American
Missions receive grant funding in time of financial difficulties.
The Kolbe Society (formerly the Detention Ministry) works to meet the spiritual needs of men,
women, and youth in prisons, jails, and detention centers in the Diocese of Tucson. Priests,
deacons, religious and lay people offer Mass and Communion services within the facilities.
They also provide pastoral counseling, evangelization, Bible study, religious education, and
sacramental preparation. To help keep families connected, they provide a monthly shuttle to
prisons outside of the city of Tucson. They also assist victims of crime through prayer, support
and healing services. Their volunteer mentors work with those released from incarceration.
They accompany parolees as they rebuild their lives – coordinating Social Security, employment,
transportation, and more. These efforts support a successful transition into the community and
reduce recidivism. (From the Kolbe Society Program Overview.)
The Office of Catholic Schools ensures the spiritual and professional development of
administrators and teachers, providing our 19 elementary and 6 high schools with quality
application of curricula.
The Office of Catechesis and Family Life guides and develops effective Catechetical leadership
in the parishes of the Diocese by providing training and resources, including Catechist
Certification Levels I and II.
The Office of Hispanic Ministry reaches out in a spirit of welcome and inclusion to the Hispanic
families in our diocese to provide, especially in Spanish, resources and programs of ministry
formation and training.
The Common Formation Office provides pastoral services to all parishes and missions of the
Diocese. The Parish Services team offers expertise in religious education, family life, liturgy,
ministry formation, spirituality, parish planning, and much more.
The Office of Human Life and Dignity initiates and supports programs that promote respect for
the dignity of human life and the Social Mission of the Church through education and advocacy
reflecting Catholic Social Teaching.
The Jordan Ministry Team includes trained formators, catechists, and spiritual directors – in
collaboration with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson – who are dedicated to forming Catholic
leaders and all members of the Church according to the Second Vatican Council’s universal call to
holiness and Church’s commitment to the New Evangelization. Their programs include ministry
and leadership development, faith formation, and spiritual enrichment.
The Office of the Bishop supports the pastoral and administrative ministries of the Bishop, allowing the Bishop to fulfill his pastoral and canonical responsibilities.
The Office of the Moderator of the Curia oversees the most efficient use of staff, facilities, equipment, and administrative systems and resources of the Diocese, ensuring that the personnel of the Curia properly fulfill the offices and responsibilities entrusted to them.
The Office of Formation promotes the certification and faith formation of adults, lay ministers, and clergy, as well as the continued formation of those in parish ministry and leadership.
The Office of Religious Women is the liaison to the Bishop for the Women Religious of the Diocese of Tucson.
The Office of Archives, through the collection, organization, and preservation of the official records of the Diocese, provides an accurate historical record of the Catholic church in Southern Arizona. It supports parishes, faith communities, and schools in their efforts to establish and maintain current and historical records.
The Office of the Permanent Diaconate provides for invitation, pastoral support, formation, continuing education, and evaluation of permanent deacons.
Pastoral Care Ministry Program brings the presence of Christ and provides comfort & consolation to the elderly and gravely ill through masses, communion services and personal visits to residents in nursing homes, hospices, and assisted-living centers.
The Office of the Tribunal represents the judicial ministry of the Church. By means of the
Church’s legal processes as determined in the Code of Canon Law, an individual can present a
case to the Tribunal in order to resolve his/her marital status. For a person whose marriage has
ended in divorce, the Tribunal provides the opportunity to have the marriage reviewed to see if
it is valid or invalid according to the norms and teachings of the Church. The Tribunal cooperates
with pastors and with other offices and agencies in fostering pastoral care to persons who are
separated, divorced, and those planning a future marriage with the Church. Following the wishes
Pope Francis expressed in his apostolic letter of September 8, 2015, Mitis Iudex Dominus Jesus,
the Tribunal office no longer charges a fee for services.
The Office of Child, Adolescent, and Adult Protection ensures the safety of children, young
people and vulnerable who have been entrusted to our care in our schools and other programs.
They thoroughly screen members of the clergy, as well as parish employees and volunteers
who work with children, young people and the vulnerable as part of their ministry, holding
them to Christ-centered and profession codes of conduct. They provide appropriate training in
recognizing and reporting child/adult abuse to appropriate civil and Church authorities.
The Office of Property and Insurance Services provides administrative resources and insurance
compliance for parish and school facilities.
The Office of Human Resources provides personnel and benefits administration for some 2,000
employees in our parishes and schools.
The Office of Fiscal Services provides accounting and bookkeeping services to approximately 38
parishes, and will eventually undertake these responsibilities for all parishes in the Diocese.
The Annual Catholic Appeal is the largest point of funding for the work of our Diocese. Covering 51% of the projected Diocesan budget, the ACA provides the financial ability for over 26 ministries and charities to serve individuals and families within the communities of Southern Arizona.
If you are making a gift, please do so by May 31, 2022, to help your parish reach their goal.
Click Here to Donate to the 2022 Annual Catholic Appeal
Thank you on behalf of all the parishes, Catholic schools, diocesan ministries, and social service agencies throughout our Diocese that benefit from the Annual Catholic Appeal!